Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) is performed on approximately 600,000 women annually in the United. States. Hysterectomy is often the therapeutic choice for the treatment of a variety of uterine disorders such as cancer, adenomyosis, menorrhagia, uterine prolapse, dysfunctional uterine bleeding (abnormal menstrual bleeding that has no discrete anatomic explanation such as a tumor or growth), and muscular tumors of the uterus, known as leimyoma or uterine fibroids.
However, hysterectomy is a drastic treatment, having many undesirable characteristics. Newer treatment methods have been developed for some diseases which avoid the need for a hysterectomy. For example, in 1995, it was demonstrated that uterine fibroids could be treated without hysterectomy using a non-surgical therapy, specifically comprising bilateral intraluminal occlusion of the uterine arteries (Ravina et al., “Arterial Embolization to Treat Uterine Myomata”, Lancet Sep. 9, 1995; Vol. 346; pp. 671-672, incorporated in its entirety herein). This technique is known as “uterine artery embolization”. In this technique, uterine arteries are accessed via a transvascular route from a common femoral artery into the left and right uterine arteries. The technique uses standard interventional radiology angiographic techniques and equipment, whereby the uterine arteries are accessed via a transvascular route from a common femoral artery into the left and right uterine arteries. Uterine artery embolization can be effectively used to control uterine bleeding from a variety of sources using coils placed in arterial and venous lumens (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,994,069, 5,226,911, and 5,549,824, all of which are incorporated in their entireties herein), or particles (GELFOAM pledgets, available from Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Mich. or IVALON particles, available from Boston Scientific).
One of the key features for treating fibroids with uterine artery embolization is the fact that fibroids live a tenuous vascular life with very little ability to recruit a new blood supply from the host when the primary blood supply is compromised. The uterus on the other hand has a dual (or redundant) blood supply; the primary blood supply is from the bilateral uterine arteries, the secondary blood supply from the bilateral ovarian arteries. Consequently, when both uterine arteries are occluded, i.e., bilateral vessel occlusion, the uterus and the fibroids contained within the uterus are both deprived of their blood supply. However, as demonstrated by Ravina et al., the effect on the fibroids is greater than the effect on the uterus. In most instances, the fibroids wither and cease to cause clinical symptoms.
The uterus has a dual (or redundant) blood supply, the primary blood supply being from the bilateral uterine arteries, and the secondary blood supply from the bilateral ovarian arteries. Consequently, when both uterine arteries are occluded, i.e. bilateral vessel occlusion; the uterus and the fibroids contained within the uterus are both deprived of their blood supply. However, as demonstrated by Ravina et al., the effect on the fibroid is greater than the effect on the uterus. In most instances, the fibroid withers and ceases to cause clinical symptoms. See also Burbank, et al., “Uterine Artery Occlusion by Embolization or Surgery for the Treatment of Fibroids: A Unifying Hypothesis-Transient Uterine Ischemia,” The Journal of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, November 2000, Vol. 7, No. 4 Supplement, pp. S3-S49. U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,601, to Burbank et al. entitled “Methods for Occlusion of the Uterine Arteries,” describes numerous devices and methods useful for occluding a uterine artery.
The current treatments offered to women for fibroid treatment or uterine bleeding focus on permanent or near permanent occlusion methods for the uterine artery. For example, embolizing with PVA particles causes uterine artery occlusion for 6 months to permanent in situ); embolizing with stainless steel coils causes permanent occlusion; embolizing with Gelfoam occludes for 3 to 4 weeks before degradation of the embolic particles; surgical ligation with metal vascular clips occlude permanently; and surgical ligation with RF ablation results in permanent occlusion.
The prior art devices and methods are therefore aimed at permanent occlusion of the uterine artery, resulting in redirection of the blood flow to the uterus through collateral circulation. The patients who suffer most dramatically from uterine myomata are women of child bearing age who may desire to bear additional children. The current methods of embolizing or ligating uterine arteries are specifically contraindicated for women who desire to bear additional children. This is the realization of inadequate blood supply to the uterus because of the loss of the uterine arteries, the primary blood supply. While there have been reports of women who have undergone uterine artery embolization with PVA particles and who have subsequently become pregnant and deliver normal babies. Women who have undergone uterine artery embolization have also experienced premature menopause due to ovarian failure.
Recent advances in non-permanent occlusion of uterine arteries for treating a variety of uterine disorders have relied upon time period to determine when to re-establish blood flow through the patient's uterine artery. However, the duration of the uterine artery occlusion does not always provide an accurate assessment of the treatment for a particular disorder, particularly uterine fibroids.